Playing-ball.



PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

F. H. RICHARDS PLAYING BALL.

APPLICATION mum 0015.6 1902.

f w I UNITED STATES Patented May 3, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

PLAYING-BALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 758,851, dated May 3, 1904:.

Application filed October 6, 1902.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Playing Balls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to golf or other playing balls; and its object is to produce in an inexpensive manner a well-centered and highlyefficient ball.

. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating the method of settingacore within the ball-mold. Fig. 2 shows the ball completed in the mold.

In both views similar parts are designated by similar characters of reference.

For the core or filling of the ball I prefer to employ a soft -rubber hollow sphere 1. This I suspend within a mold consisting, preferably, of a lower section 2 and an upper section 3, each section having a hemispherical depression or cup, which depressions together form a spherical chamber or cavity I. The core may be suspended within the relatively large mold-chamber I by means of needles or points 7 and 7, which are preferably arranged in opposite pairs, the needles in each pair being on a single diametrical line and at right angles to the needles in the other pair and all of the needles being level with the center of the ball. The four needles are driven into the core, thereby to suspend it centrally of the mold with the requisite stability during the subsequent casting of a shell thereon. Each of the needle-slides is rigidly guided and is capable of horizontal movement toward and from the center of the ball-mold.

The shell material may be heated and supplied to the mold-chamber in a mobile orfluent condition by any suitable means. Pressure may be applied to the fluent material after the mold is filled and maintained during the subsequent hardening of the shell.

A vacuum-nozzle I5 is inserted in the upper mold-section 3 and opens into the top of the mold-chamber, the opening being provided with a valve 46, whereby communica- Serial No. 126,620. (No model.)

tion between the vacuum-pump and the moldchamber may be opened or closed. Any suitable air-exhausting apparatus may be employed.

The valve 46 is opened and air is exhausted from the mold chamber. Then the fluent shell material 49 is forced into the mold-chamber I. WVhen sufficient material is forced in to completely fill the chamber 4:, the valve 46 is closed and escape of the material is prevented, whereupon great pressure is applied to the material 49, so as to compact the latter and also to put the core 1 under compression, which is carried to an extent to collapse the core and preferably to solidify it, as at A, Fig. 2. I/Vhile this compression is maintained, cold water or other fluid is circulated through channels 47 and 48, thereby cooling the shell material to an extent to harden said shell. WVhen the shell is sufficiently hardened to enable it to retain the core in a state of compression, the needles are withdrawn, the upper mold-section 3 is removed, and the ball withdrawn from the lower section.

Many variations may be resorted to within the scope of my improvements.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A golf-ball comprising a hollow core of soft and yielding elastic material held under compression and squeezed into a collapsed state, and a shell of gutta-percha cast in one piece thereon and holding said core under compression.

2. A golf-ball comprising a hollow core of soft and yielding elastic material held under compression and squeezed into a collapsed state, and a shell of plastic material cast in one piece thereon and holding said core under compression.

3. A golf-ball comprising a hollow core of soft and yielding elastic material held under compression and squeezed into a collapsed state, and a shell of wear-resisting material cast in one piece thereon and holding said core under compression.

4:. A golf-ball comprisinga hollow core of soft and yielding elastic material held under compression and squeezed into a collapsed state, and a shell of hard but flexible material cast in one piece thereon and holding said core under compression.

5. A golf-ball comprising a hollow sphere of soft rubber reduced to a collapsed state, and a shell of plastic material cast in one piece thereon and permanently holding the core in said collapsed state.

6. A golf-ball comprising a hollow core re duced to a collapsed state and a, compressed shell of gutta-percha cast in one piece on said collapsed core.

-7. A golf-ball comprising a hollow core reduced to a collapsed state and a compressed shell of gutta-percha cast in one piece on said collapsed core and holding the core under permanent compression.

8. A golf-ball comprising a sphere of soft and yielding elastic material provided with a chamber, said core being reduced to a collapsed state, and a shell of gutta-percha cast in one piece thereon and holding said collapsed core under compression.

9. A golf-ball comprising a sphere of rubber provided with a chamber, said core being reduced to a collapsed state, and a shell of gutta-percha cast in one piece thereon and holding said collapsed core under compression.

10. A golf-ball comprisinga sphere of soft and yielding elastic material provided with a chamber, said core being reduced to a collapsed state, anda shell of plastic material cast in one piece thereon and holding said collapsed core under compression.

Signed at Nos. 9 to 15 Murray street, in the city and State of New York.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS. l/Vitnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, JOHN O. SEIFERT. 

